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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29150676">Gravity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/krononan/pseuds/krononan'>krononan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Wilds (TV 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cute, F/F, i deadass haent written in a year dont @ me, im so not happy with this but i figured why not</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:14:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,463</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29150676</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/krononan/pseuds/krononan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Toni and Shelby are anxiously awaiting some alone time. Shelby takes a tumble and Toni has to carry her back.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shelby Goodkind/Toni Shalifoe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>115</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Gravity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Honestly this is kinda trash but idc. Enjoy. Haven't written in a while so I'm tryna stretch my writing legs out again.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The air on the island felt hot and heavy. The past several days had been markedly warmer than they’d seen so far.<br/>

“I’m fucking hot,” Toni groaned. She rolled around on the sand before flopping down exhausted.<br/>

“We’re all hot, Toni,” Dot snapped back.<br/>

Martha rolled her eyes. She was fully aware that Toni could be dramatic. She was long used to the theatrics, but Shelby looked worried. All of them had gotten particularly bad sunburn, but none worse than her. The skin on her forehead was deep red flecked with various peeling patches. Shelby stood, brushing sand off her to the ground.<br/>

“Well, if you’re so hot, why don’t you come with me to the waterfall? It’s my turn to get water, but I would love some company.”<br/>

Toni squinted up at her through the blinding sun. She had a small smile on her face, secretive and mischievous. Toni smirked back and sighed.<br/>

“Well, I guess I could go for a swim.”<br/>

Shelby smiled wide and bright like the sun before heading off to retrieve the camp’s collective water bottles. Toni watched her go with a faint smile on her face. The prospect of some alone time was more than enough reason to accept Shelby’s invitation. A swim was just a bonus, if not an excuse. She ignored knowing stares from Martha. The rest of the girls were preoccupied with cooling themselves down swimming by the shore. Dot was laying down, one hand over her eyes.<br/>

“You ready to go, Toni?” Shelby asked.<br/>

Her eyes were shining with the same charming twinkle as they always had. Everything about her was bright. It seemed in deep contrast with Toni, who oftentimes felt as dull as the sand under their feet, even now. She could not understand what gravity she had to attract a star.<br/>

“Uh yeah, let’s go,” Toni replied.<br/>

The two set off toward the tree line with a visible bounce in their steps. Martha turned to Dot.<br/>

“They’re gonna go make out, aren’t they?”<br/>

“I honestly don’t care as long as they bring me back some water,” Dot grumbled back.<br/>

As soon as Toni and Shelby had broken through the tree line and away from the prying eyes of others Shelby nervously bumped shoulders with Toni. She entwined her fingers with Toni’s all while staring down at the forest floor. There was sand between the palms of their hands. Toni’s hands were sweaty. She hesitated for a moment and looked to Shelby. Her eyes were somewhat less bright, dimmed by a cloud of anxiety and hesitation.<br/>

“Is this ok?”<br/>

“Of course, why wouldn’t it be? I started it,” Shelby replied.<br/>

As she responded the cloud that had previously dimmed her eyes lifted. If anything they were brighter now as she swung their connected hands back and forth.<br/>
“I’m just making sure.”<br/>

They navigated to the waterfall in sync, laughing as Shelby tried to match her much longer strides with Toni’s. Their laughter pealed through the forest like the church bells of Sunday that Shelby so frequented in the past. Toni couldn’t help but wonder if she was happier here, somehow. As their days on the island progressed, Shelby only seemed to burn brighter by the day. It was if she had peeled back the fake veneer that she presented on the plane, bit by bit. Toni wondered how much brighter she could get. She wondered if Shelby thought she was bright too.<br/>

The sun pierced through the leaves of the trees as they approached the waterfall. It glinted and sparkled on the droplets of water. As many times as they had come here, Toni was sure that it was the most beautiful place that she had ever seen. Shelby crouched down, refilling the bottles. The picture was sweeter with her in it if that was possible.<br/>
“Are you gonna come down and help me, or are you gonna just stand there starin’ at my ass?”<br/>

Toni blushed and kneeled down beside her. She scooped up and filled the other bottle. As she straightened up Shelby cupped her cheek. Toni smiled as Shelby leaned in to kiss her. Despite their obvious hygiene struggles on the island, Shelby managed to somehow still taste sweet. Toni summed it up to yet another fascinating Shelby talent. The chorus of rushing water behind them was the only sound as they kissed tenderly by the bank. Somewhere behind them the rest of the girls were undoubtedly splashing around in the ocean water, but for now, it was just them. All of the rest of the island seemed to fade away from existence as Toni pulled away and smirked at Shelby.<br/>

“I bet you’re too much of a princess to jump off that waterfall,” Toni said.<br/>

“Well, I hate to break it to you, but I excel at waterfall jumping.”<br/>

“Is there anything you don’t excel at?”<br/>

“No.”<br/>

Toni rolled her eyes playfully and nodded to the waterfall. “Well, are you gonna go up there or am I gonna have to?”<br/>

Shelby laughed and shook her head. Her blonde tresses were only becoming more unruly by the day, but to Toni they were more beautiful than they had ever been.<br/>
“Just watch me.”<br/>

Shelby took off to the far side of the rock while Toni splashed her face with water. It was a welcome relief from the oppressive heat of the day. Before she could take another dip, she heard a loud crash from behind the rock. She stood up, tense.<br/>

“Shelby? Are you ok?”<br/>

She ran to the source of the noise and found Shelby on the ground. She clutched at her ankle and grimaced. It was already red and beginning to swell. Toni felt her heart drop as she kneeled down beside her.<br/>

“Oh my god, Shelby are you ok?”<br/>

“I-I’m fine. Just took a little tumble on the way up to the top is all,” Shelby said, forcing a pained smile as she put a hand on Toni’s shoulder.<br/>

“Bullshit. That looks like a sprain. Come here,” Toni replied.<br/>

Upon further inspection, Shelby’s ankle was red and inflamed, but did not look too bad. Toni huffed and tried to restrain the stress bubbling up inside her.<br/>

“Here, we should get back. I’m gonna go grab the water bottles and I’ll be right back.”<br/>

Shelby nodded, and tried to get to her feet as Toni left. She could stand, gingerly, and Toni frowned as she looked at her.<br/>

“I know a sprained ankle when I see one. Come on, I’ll give you a ride back.”<br/>

Toni turned, bending down so Shelby could jump on her back.<br/>

“There’s no way you’re gonna carry me all the way back to camp, Toni. It’s fine. I’ll just walk.”<br/>

Toni gave Shelby a withering look. “Just get on, Shelby. I’m not letting you walk all the way back on a sprained ankle.”<br/>

As many things that Shelby did excel at, there was a few that Toni did better. Basketball, for one. Stubbornness, for the other. Shelby knew this. Without another word of complaint aside from an eye roll, Shelby hopped onto Toni’s back. To her surprise, Toni hardly seemed bothered. Even after several weeks of starvation on an uninhabited island Toni was still muscular. Shelby could feel the hours of basketball practice in her back. Hers was the body of someone who wanted something, deeply, and had given up an incredible amount to get it. It wasn’t easy being basketball captain, but Toni thrived under the pressure.<br/>

“Comfy up there?”<br/>

Shelby smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead.<br/>

“Very.”<br/>

“Good,” Toni replied, her voice uncharacteristically soft and tender.<br/>

Toni began their trek back through the woods, significantly slower this time but filled with laughter. She stumbled and navigated through the dense brush with Shelby on her back. Despite the heat of the day, she did not mind Shelby being so close to her.<br/>

“Giddy up, cowboy,” Shelby laughed.<br/>

Toni jokingly leaned to one side, almost falling but stopping at the last second. They both were laughing hard, loudly into the air with unrestrained happiness.<br/>

“Almost there,” Toni told her.<br/>

As they broke through the trees everyone else was sitting around the fire, and all eyes were on them. Martha chuckled and returned to her conversation with Dot, who looked the two up and down with scrutiny.<br/>

“What happened there?”<br/>

“Oh, just a little tumble in the woods. You know how it is. Give me a few hours rest and I’ll be right as rain,” Shelby replied, ever present smile turned to Dot.<br/>

“Oh. Did you get the water?”<br/>

“Sure did,” Toni said, dropping Shelby to the ground gently. Shelby tossed a bottle to Dot.<br/>

“You sure you’re ok, Shelby?”<br/>

Shelby nodded and looked at Toni.<br/>

“Never been better.”</p>
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